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National Association of Black Journalists With Angry Message To ESPN About Rachel Nichols

After ESPN’s Rachel Nichols was caught on a hot mic, saying that her colleague Maria Taylor got to anchor last year’s NBA Finals coverage instead of her because the network was ‘feeling pressure’ about its ‘crappy longtime record on diversity’, the internet hasn’t stopped talking about it.

Now, the National Association of Black Journalists are demanding a meeting with top ESPN and Disney personal, while calling Nichols’ comments disappointing and disparaging. 

“The NABJ Board of Directors is disturbed to learn the details of this situation and what appeared to be a lack of accountability and a desire by ESPN to provide accommodations for a white employee who mocked diversity and a well-qualified co-worker while seemingly ignoring how Taylor and others who later heard the conversation may have been affected,” said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. “The silence and apparent inaction by ESPN leaders over the last year is deafening and, as a result, NABJ is requesting a meeting with Bob Iger, executive chairman at The Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN; Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company; and Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN.”